New to Wood Building....New to LumberJocks. Any recommendations for a newbie?

Hello LumberJocks Community! I recently decided to take on some projects for my wife since I have been a auto mechanic for many years so I think I’m pretty good with my hands. Plus, I have always been interested in getting into woodworking as a hobby but never had the funds to do so. Well, i’m committing to it and have started collecting some tools and wanted to get some insight on what else i should think about buying. I have a few basic sanders, a Hitachi 12” Miter saw, just bought a Bosch TS and have ordered a Triton TRA001 Router. I would really like to learn more about the different joints and getting the most out of a router. Im contemplating getting the RT1000XL table but I’m not sure the in’s and out’s of setting up a router\table. Does anyone have any direction they can offer? Any assistance is appreciated! Thanks ~Ed

11 replies so far

MidwestKid ..Woodsmith offers several books online. Here’s one for routers. Woodsmith and Shopnotes are both good for tips, plans, and resources. Sign up to receive their weekly emails and subscribe to either of their magizines.Hope this helps….Maybe others will post some other resources to beginners…...Welcome to LJ’s

Welcome!! Good to have you. I used to do a lot of auto mechanics myself. I put myself through college with that and went on to something else. You will get plenty of advice here. Have a great time. Remember that collecting tools is still an addiction. LOL

If you have a library near by, there are probably several woodworking related books available. I live in a town of less than 500, and our small library has about 10 woodworking related books. A slightly bigger library up the road has a whole shelf full, probably 30 or more.

Several of the books available are good ones too, including a router book.

With limited funds, you can’t beat the price either, and once you go through what is available at the library you should have a better idea of what direction you need to go.

Welcome to Lumberjocks. Best advice I could offer is to decide on a project and get started. Just like in automotive you learn as you go and get those special tools you have to have to finish a job. Other tips:DO not take things from your wife’s kitchen without prior written approval signed in BLOOD.Do not inform your wife the wood putty needs to be in the frig and not to worry about itDo not use the wife’s microwave to dry glue faster unless you like glue with your dinner.Do not spend $10,000 at the woodshow or at the tool store and come home saying Honey I NEEDED this!Do not tell your wife to wear that sexy swimsuit and have her hold your latest project so you can get a picture.Okay I am crying laughing I will let others add to this list. (laughing)

Instead of buying a router table, build one. You will get experience and you will also get a LOT of satisfaction. And it won’t cost you as much as you think The second one will cost you more than you think, but the first one won’t cost you much.

Do yourself a gigantic favor and read Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking. Originally a 3 volume set it can also be found a 2 volume (book 1+2 combined) or all in a single volume. A lot of guys writing books today learned what they know from Tage Frid.

DKV, ive lost count on how many youtube videos I have watched. Im learning a lot from them though.

I’m definitely going to look at some of the books some of you have recommended.

As far as building my own table, from looking at some of the basic stuff like the fence, hardware, wood, top and mounting plate… i keep thinking it would cost more to build one myself. Ill be looking for some ebay bargains though before i do anything.

The first 200 issues of Woodsmith are available on DVD for $100. The issues are searchable this way and they’re a wealth of useful information to a new or seasoned woodworker. I learned a lot from reading each issue and tackling many of their projects. I’d highly recommend this over several hundred dollars of carefully chosen books…